Cook leads England canter

Hosts see off early Gayle threat to restrict West Indies to 238-9

Alastair Cook: hit his fifth ODI hundred and his fourth since taking over the captaincy

The England skipper shared an opening stand of 122 with Ian Bell, who contributed 53

England wrapped up the series against the West Indies with a game to spare with a comfortable eight-wicket victory at the Oval.

Not even an early onslaught by the fit-again Chris Gayle, or a defiant 77 from Dwayne Bravo, could help the tourists stay alive, their total of 238-9 never looking likely to be enough on an excellent batting pitch.

Captain Alastair Cook led from the front in England's pursuit of 239, hitting his fifth ODI century and his fourth since taking charge of the 50-over team.

The Essex batsman made 112 from 120 balls, meaning an opener has now reached three figures in England's last six one-day outings, all victories.

Impressed again

Ian Bell had made the last of those tons at the Ageas Bowl on Saturday and he once again impressed in his new role at the top of the order, contributing 53 in a first-wicket stand of 122 that made the run-chase a formality.

Although Cook couldn't quite stick around to see the job through, perhaps getting a little giddy after hitting just his fourth six in the format and skying Darren Sammy straight up in the air, the hard work had been done.

Jonathan Trott (43 not out) and Ravi Bopara, who ended up unbeaten on 19, saw the hosts over the finishing line with just the five overs to spare, sealing a sixth successive one-day series triumph on home turf.

In truth, the batsmen simply made sure the hard work done by the bowlers in the first half of the match didn't go to waste. James Anderson was the pick of the seam-heavy attack with 2-38, while Stuart Broad claimed 2-43 from his nine overs.

However it was spinner Graeme Swann who claimed the most crucial scalp, getting Gayle lbw after the Jamaican, who had surprisingly missed the first fixture on Saturday due to a shin injury, had marked his return to the international arena with some typically brutal hitting.

After a sombre start to the day with a minute's silence in memory of Surrey and England Lions batsman Tom Maynard, who died on Monday, the West Indies managed just eight runs from the first five overs; it proved, however, to be the calm before the Gayle storm.

Representing the men from the Caribbean for the first time since last year's World Cup, the left-hander blasted five sixes to make 53 in a hurry.

Suffered

Tim Bresnan suffered in particular, the Yorkshireman disappearing over the rope three times in his first over, the last of which landed on the roof of the Bedser Stand, while Anderson was also deposited for maximums twice.

The decision to take the pace off the ball worked a treat for England, albeit thanks to a borderline leg before decision that left Gayle utterly bemused. He felt he had squeezed a delivery from Swann off his bat and then onto front pad, but umpires Tony Hill and Kumar Dharmasensa, who had the additonal help of several replays and also 'hot spot' technology, thought differently.

The momentum turned on that DRS outcome as the West Indies lost four wickets for 16 runs, Broad dismissing Dwayne Smith and Marlon Samuels in between the run out of Lendl Simmons, who was finally put out of his misery after taking 50 balls to contribute 12 runs.

Bravo (77) and Keiron Pollard, who made 41, seemed to steady the ship with a stand worth 100, including hitting 47 during the five-over batting powerplay.

Yet the platform for a late onslaught collapsed in a hurry, starting with the departure of Pollard. Skipper Sammy did make 21, but only 19 came from the final 30 deliveries as England's bowlers finished as they had started - on top.